“WE will be looking for months and months – we want to get to the bottom of it.”

That’s the message from RSPCA inspectors as an investigation continues into how a family of nine dogs came to be cruelly dumped in the countryside.

All the evidence has been collected and the hunt is on for the owner of the poodle-crosses.

RSPCA inspector Jan Edwards said she is expecting the investigation to take “months”.

“The plan is to still engage with the public because someone must know where they have come from, they have been hidden away somewhere,” she said.

“We are absolutely still looking and will be for months and months. Anybody that has any information no matter how small, we want to hear from them.

“Don’t think you are wasting our time because those dogs have had a hideous life so far and we want to get to the bottom of it.”

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The charity is working alongside Winchester City Council, which had ownership of the dogs for seven days after they were found. They have now been signed over to the RSPCA.

The dogs were discovered last week near Winchester in appalling condition, unable to see, stand or walk due to their heavy, filthy matted fur.

It took vets three hours per dog to remove the hair, which weighed a total of 95.15 kilograms. It was the equivalent of a third extra of the dogs’ body weight and the dog with the most removed was Mavis at 13.40 kilograms.

Ms Edwards said: “That is a massive amount of hair for those little dogs to be carrying around, it’s quite scary. I feel very sorry for how they have been living, but optimistic for their future.”

All of the hair has been bagged up and is in storage at the RSPCA centre in Ashley Heath, where four of the dogs, Martha, Will, Faye and Maria, are being cared for. They are recovering and some have been walking on a lead, which Ms Edwards said is “great news”.

Sian and Dave are at Mount Noddy, near Chichester, and are being assessed.

The remaining dogs, Kate, Justin and Mavis, are at the Ark in Stubbington. Vets were originally concerned about Kate, who earlier this week they said was depressed and unable to walk, stand, eat or drink. As reported on Monday, Ms Edwards said Kate had a “twinkle in her eye again” but there is still work to be done to determine why she is struggling to walk.

Ms Edwards said all of the dogs are being treated for skin conditions and are making slow progress.

At the moment there are no clues as to who owned the dogs. The Daily Echo appeal to raise money for the RSPCA has smashed its £3,000 target. At the time of going to press it stood at £4,162.77 from 131 donations.